Wednesday 31 May 2017 09:26, UK
Surrey's former Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara, Glamorgan all-rounder Colin Ingram, Worcestershire batsman Daryl Mitchell and Alastair Cook, the Essex and England opener, have been shortlisted for the Professional Cricketers' Association's Player of the Month Award for May.
The quartet earned most points in the PCA Most Valuable Rankings for their performances in the Royal London One-Day Cup and Specsavers County Championship during the month of May and will now go into a public poll to decide the winner.
Fans will have the opportunity to decide the winner by voting online via the PCA and Sky Sports websites before 2pm on Thursday, June 1.
Sangakkara was the highest points scorer in county cricket in May, amassing 167 during a highly-productive month in which he made four centuries, including a double in the first innings of the drawn championship match with Essex at Chelmsford.
The double hundred was Sangakkara's fifth consecutive three figure score in first-class cricket and he fell just 16 short of equalling the world record of six when he was caught and bowled by Tom Westley in the second innings.
Sangakkara earned 65 match points against Essex which followed a 52 points haul against Middlesex at Lord's when he made a century in each innings.
Ingram finished a memorable May with 154 points which included four centuries, three of them in the RLODC.
Ingram earned 36 rankings points for his List A-best 142 against Essex and 19 for his four wickets, also a career-best in the format, against Middlesex.
His fourth century came in the championship match against Nottinghamshire last week when he batted 10 hours to defy an attack that included Stuart Broad.
Mitchell, the PCA chairman, ended May with a flourish and 142 PCA MVP points. He made back-to-back championship centuries in the wins over Derbyshire and Northamptonshire and followed up with 78 in the second innings at Northampton.
Mitchell earned 25 rankings points for his first innings century at Northampton and 21 for his second innings runs which steered Worcestershire to their fourth straight win in their best start to a season since 1964.
He also impressed with both bat and ball in the RLODC during May, making three half centuries and taking two three-wicket hauls to take Worcestershire to the semi-finals.
Former England captain Cook earned 139 rankings points during a month in which he made a Royal London One-Day Cup century against Sussex and another in the championship victory over Hampshire.
Cook secured 27 rankings points from his innings against Hampshire and 26 for his One Day century.
Cook also made three half centuries in the Royal London One Day Cup and finished high enough in the competition PCA MVP to secure an invitation for next year's North-South Series.
How the PCA MVP Rankings system works...
The PCA MVP Rankings system was introduced in 2007, an innovation which provides a more rigorous analysis of player performances than traditional batting and bowling averages.
The rankings were designed by the players to identify the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic season.
The MVP formula gives full credit to those players whose performances improve their team's chances of winning. Points are accrued for all runs scored and wickets taken, these are then adjusted within the context of the match to take into account strike rates and economy rates.
The formula also takes into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike-rates as well as runs scored and wickets taken with the player who tops the overall PCA MVP Rankings at the end of the season, receiving a £10,000 prize and a trophy.
To view the overall MVP rankings click here.
